Amrock, a part of Rocket Companies and the largest provider of title insurance, property valuations and settlement services in the U.S., said Wednesday that CEO Brian Hughes will retire later this month.
Hughes will be succeeded by Nicole Beattie, who currently serves as executive vice president of mortgage servicing for Rocket Mortgage, the company said. Beattie will assume the role of Amrock CEO on Nov. 19,.
“I would like to congratulate Brian on Amrock’s success,” Beattie said. “His leadership has solidified the company’s position at the top of the industry and paved a clear path of innovation for years to come.”
Beattie added that she is “excited to build on the company’s momentum, continuing to create technology solutions that improve the mortgage closing experience for our lender partners and the clients they serve.”
Beattie will step into the CEO role after nearly 18 years with Rocket Companies, the last four of which have been spent leading Rocket Mortgage’s servicing team — managing a portfolio of more than $500 billion in home loans as of the end of October.
Her leadership has been instrumental in helping Rocket Mortgage clients navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said, as it took an extremely proactive approach toward helping those impacted.
As the pandemic began to affect homeowners, Beattie’s mortgage servicing team released a proprietary technology system to quickly assist them, the company said, enabling clients to log into an online portal containing educational resources and an automated solution to apply for a forbearance plan.
The net result of Rocket Mortgage’s use of innovative technology, trusted expert advice and proactive outreach is a forbearance rate that has been significantly lower than the industry average, the company said.
Beattie’s experience and achievements in the housing industry will have a direct, positive impact on Amrock clients as she applies these elements to advance the company’s team member experience, business strategy and digital transformation agenda, the company said.
Hughes is retiring after more than 21 years at Amrock and 30 years devoted to the title, appraisal and settlement services industry. Throughout his time with Amrock, he has been instrumental in enacting change and spearheading company growth through a variety of leadership positions, the company said.
He led Amrock’s integration of digital mortgage closings and advocated for adoption throughout the country. In fact, in the third quarter, Amrock reached the milestone of completing the company’s one millionth eClosing, the company said.
“In my time at Amrock, I’ve had the honor of challenging the housing industry’s status quo and positively impacting client experience, making the home buying journey easier to navigate,” Hughes said. “I know the company is in good hands with Nicole. Her leadership has brought innovation to mortgage servicing that many didn’t think possible. I look forward to seeing the strides that will be made in home valuation and mortgage closing under her direction.”
Once Beattie assumes the role of CEO at Amrock, LaQuanda Sain will lead Rocket Mortgage’s servicing team. Sain has been with Rocket Mortgage since 2013, currently serving as executive vice president of mortgage retention.
